Switch-stand



No. e|9,42s.

Patented Feb. I4, 1899. W.'E. MILLER. 7

swn'cn ST'AND. (Application filed Aug. 5, 1898.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM E. MILLER, OF VICTOR, COLORADO.

SWITCH-STAN D.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 619,428, dated February14, 1899.

Application filed August 1398- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Victor, in the county of El Paso and State of 0010- rado,have invented a new and useful Switch- Stand, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to means for fastening switch-stands to thecross-ties of a railwaytrack.

Difficulty has heretofore been experienced in removing switch-standsfrom the cross-ties to Whichthey are fastened because the spikeheads arenot accessible to an extractingimplement by reason of the location ofthe headblocks over the foot of the stand-base. I aim to overcome thisobjection by the provision of a novel construction of stand-base inwhich the spike-heads have firm bearing or engagement with the stand tosecurely fasten the latter to the ties, and the heads of said spikes areeasily accessible to the claw of an extract ing implement for thepurpose of pulling the spikes from the ties preparatory to removing thestand.

With these ends in view the invention consists in the novel constructionand arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

To enable others to understand the invention, I have illustrated thesame in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,and in which Figure l is a side elevation of a switchstand constructedin accordance with my invention and showing it applied to the ties ofthe track. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the switch-stand fastenedto the ties as represented by Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a verticalcrosssectional View on the plane indicated by the dotted line 3 3 ofFig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of a portion of thestandbase having its foot-flange constructed in accordance with thisinvention.

Like numerals of reference denote like and corresponding parts in eachof the several figures of the drawings.

The base 1 of the stand is a single casting, which is constructed tosustain the'operating $erial1l0. 687,812. (No model.)

1 parts of the switch-signal. The signal and its operating devices maybe of any character known to those skilled in the art or preferred bythe constructor. The stand-base is constructed with the foot-flanges 23, which diverge outwardly and downwardly from the columnar portion ofthe base and are arranged ties of a railway-track.

My improvement relates to a peculiar construction of the foot-flanges,which form an integral part of the stand-base, and according to myimprovement each foot-flange 2 or 3 is constructed with two or morespike-openings 4. These spike openings pierce the footflange at themedian line thereof and near the respective ends of the same. A solidabutment 5 is formed on the foot-flange at the front of eachspike-opening 4, and the inner face of this solid abutment is in thevertical plane of one of the boundary-walls for the spike-opening at thefront thereof. Another abutment 6 is providedon the foot-flange at therear side of the spike-opening 4 therein, and this rear abutment 6 hasan inclined face 7, which extends from the upper horizontal face of thefoot-flange in a downward and forward direction toward the rear wall ofthe spike-opening. The two abutments are thus located at the front andrear, respectively, of the spike-opening, and they lie in the samevertical plane transversely across the footflange.

Two channels 8 and 9 are produced in the upper horizontal face of thefoot-flange on opposite sides of each spike-opening 4 and the abutments5 6. These channels are parallel to each other and they vary in depth,so as to have their extremities open through the upper face of theflange 2 or 3 within the edges of the latter, while the deepest parts ofthe grooves or channels are adjacent to the spikeopening. Theterminalsof these grooves or channels merge into the upper face of thefoot-flange at lines coincident with the juncture of the abutments withsaid foot-flange, thus making groove or channel equalin length to a linedrawn between the points where the abutments merge into the foot-flange.The

to rest upon the end portions of two adjacent channels are thus disposedon opposite sides of the abutments and the spike-openings, and theyextend past and alongside of the abutments which are located at frontand rear of the spike-opening.

In applying the base of the switch-stand in accordance with my inventionto a railwaytrack the stand is arranged to span the space between twoadjacent ties, and its foot-flanges 2 3 rest firmly upon said ties. Thespikes 10 are driven through the openings 4 and into the ties, so as tohave the front face of the spike bear against the vertical face of thefront abutment 5, while the inclined face 11 of the spike-head 12 restsupon the inclined face 7 of the rear abutment 6. The spike thus has firmengagement with the abutments of the foot-flange to securely fasten thestandbase to the ties; but the spike-head is exposed at its lower edgesbecause it occupies a position above the pair of curved channels orgrooves 8 9. The claw of an extracting implement may readily be thrustinto the channels or grooves 8 9 to fit beneath the exposed part of thespike-head, and by depressing the implement the spike may easily bewithdrawn from the tie, thereby releasing the switchstand base andpermitting its ready removal.

I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to theparticular form or shape of the spike-openings nor to the number ofopenings provided in each foot-flange of the stand-base. Slight changesin the form and proportion of the parts may therefore be made by theskilled constructor within the scope of this invention. It is also to beunderstood that the operating mechanism of the switchstand may be variedwithin wide limits, as

such operative mechanism forms no part of the present invention. v

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is- Y 1. Aswitch-stand base having the spaced foot-flanges, the spike-openings ineach footflange, the alined spike-abutments, 5, 6, disposed at the frontand rear walls of each spikeopening and with the opposing vertical facesof the abutments in the same plane as the front and rear walls of thespike-opening to afford extended bearings for a spike, and the groovesdisposed on opposite sides of each spike-openin g and extendingalongside of the two abutments to open through the foot-flange,substantially as described.

2. A switch-stand base having its footflanges provided with thespike-openings, an abutment at the front side of each spikeopenin g andwith its vertical exposed face coincident with the front boundary-wallof said opening to furnish a solid bearing for one face of the spike,another abutment at the rear side of the spike-opening and havingabeveled face to accommodate an inclined lower edge of the spike-head,and the channels or grooves located on oppositesides of thespike-opening to extend past both abutments and having their endsterminating within the edges of the foot-flange, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aliixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM E. MILLER.

\Vit-nesses:

J OHN CARNAHAN, JOHN C. TA'IMAN.

